Scottish Executive

Agriculture

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received from the National Farmers' Union Scotland urging that the Executive make payments of interest on IACS payments to farmers whose set-aside land has been down to grass and whether it will ensure that Scottish farmers are treated in the same way as farmers in England and Wales in respect of such payments.

Ross Finnie: The National Farmers' Union Scotland has made a number of representations to the Executive since this issue was the subject of a ruling in the European Court of Justice in 2000.

  In response to a further decision by the English High Court last year, we made a commitment to Scottish farmers that they would not be disadvantaged compared to farmers in England and Wales. This means that Scottish claims penalised previously because land had been in temporary grass in the year preceding set-aside will now be paid. I am pleased to confirm that this includes paying compensation, in lieu of interest, to such cases.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when regional advisory committees will be established following the recent Common Fisheries Policy review.

Ross Finnie: The establishment of Regional Advisory Councils requires a decision from the Council of Ministers. We understand that the European Commission are likely to publish a formal proposal for a Council Regulation in the near future. Unless this proposal meets with unexpected opposition, we can expect a Council decision establishing the first Rural Affairs Committees in the course of 2004. We are pressing for decisions to be taken as soon as possible.

Ministerial Correspondence

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will reply to my letter of 1 July 2003 regarding animal transport regulations.

Ross Finnie: I replied to you on 6 August.

Social Justice

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) pensioners and (b) children in (i) Scotland and (ii) each parliamentary constituency have lived in households with an income below half the UK average in each year since 1999.

Ms Margaret Curran: Figures on the numbers of children and pensioners living in low income households in each parliamentary constituency are not available.

  The available figures for Scotland are for households with incomes below proportions of the GB (rather than UK) average income. Figures are available for numbers below proportions of both the mean and median GB income.

  Tables A1-A4 and A9-A12 of the document Households Below Average Income: Figures for Scotland Using the Range of Low Income Thresholds, include the numbers of children and pensioners in Scotland that were living in households with incomes below half of the GB mean and half of the GB median incomes in each year from 1994-95 to 2001-02. Tables A1, A2, A9 and A10 present numbers of those in absolute low income (i.e. using the GB average in 1996-97, in current years prices, as the basis of the threshold). Tables A3, A4, A11 and A12 present numbers of those in relative low income (i.e. using the current year's GB average as the basis of the threshold).

  A copy of the report is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 27023) and is also available on the Scottish Executive website at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library4/FCSD/OCEA/00016688.aspx.

Waste Management

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how the £250,000 announced on 25 July 2003 to tackle fly-tipping will be allocated to each local authority.

Ross Finnie: The £250,000 will not be allocated to individual local authorities.

  It will be used to support the work of the Scottish Fly-tipping Forum, by funding guidance, research and anti-fly-tipping initiatives co-ordinated by Keep Scotland Beautiful.